Breville Infuser vs Breville Barista Touch
Quick take: The Breville Infuser costs $500 less; the Breville Barista Touch has a built-in grinder; the Breville Barista Touch heats up faster (3 seconds).
| Spec | Breville Infuser | Breville Barista Touch |
|---|---|---|
| Standout features | Steam Wand, Volumetric Control | Built-in Grinder, Touchscreen, Auto Milk Texturing, Programmable |
| Approx. price | ~$500 | ~$1,000 |
| Type | Semi-Automatic | Semi-Automatic |
| Boiler | Thermoblock | Thermoblock |
| Built-in grinder | No | Yes |
| Pump pressure | 15 bar | 15 bar |
| Water capacity | 61 oz | 67 oz |
| Warm-up time | 30 seconds | 3 seconds |
| Steam wand | Manual | Auto |
| Basket type | Pressurized & Unpressurized | Pressurized & Unpressurized |
| Best for | Enthusiasts | Milk Drinks |
| Dimensions | 12.5 x 12.5 x 13.2 in | 12.5 x 13.2 x 15.8 in |
| Weight | 16 lbs | 23 lbs |
| Warranty | 2 years | 2 years |
Pros & cons
Breville Infuser
- ✓Pre-infusion for better extraction
- ✓PID temperature control
- ✓Good build quality
- ✓Reasonable price
- ✗No built-in grinder
- ✗Single boiler
- ✗Basic steam wand
- ✗Discontinued - remaining stock only
Breville Barista Touch
- ✓Touchscreen guides grind, brew, and milk for every drink
- ✓ThermoJet is ready in 3 seconds - no waiting to brew
- ✓Auto milk texturing with adjustable temp and foam levels
- ✓Hundreds less than the Touch Impress with the same core workflow
- ✗No assisted tamping - you still dose and tamp by hand
- ✗Thermoblock can't brew and steam simultaneously
- ✗Grinder struggles with very light roasts
- ✗Superseded by the Touch Impress, so fewer retail discounts
What owners say
Breville Infuser
The Infuser is one of Breville's longest-serving semi-automatics and it has aged into a quiet recommendation rather than a fashionable one. At $500 it gives you a 54mm portafilter, temperature control, a steam wand and — crucially — a manual mode that lets you control pre-infusion yourself, which is the feature owners who get the most out of it lean on hardest. The verdict from long-term owners is unglamorous and genuinely positive: one says flatly that it makes better espresso than any café near them, which is the kind of claim that sounds like exaggeration until you remember how much of café espresso is made badly under time pressure. It is a capable stock machine that does not need modifying to work well. Full owner insights →
Breville Barista Touch
The Barista Touch (BES880) is Breville's all-in-one answer to "I just want a good latte without owning four appliances": a conical burr grinder, a ThermoJet heater that goes from stone cold to shot-ready in about three seconds, an automatic steam wand that textures milk to a set temperature, and a colour touchscreen that stores drink profiles and walks a first-timer through the whole sequence. Current units run Baratza-derived burrs, and owners who have used both generations are clear that the newer grinder is a real step up over the early ones — a distinction that gets lost in the older "the built-in grinder is junk" advice still floating around. Full owner insights →
Breville Infuser vs Breville Barista Touch: common questions
Which is cheaper, the Breville Infuser or the Breville Barista Touch?
The Breville Infuser is the cheaper of the two at roughly $500, about $500 less than the Breville Barista Touch at ~$1,000. Both figures are approximate list prices and street prices move with sales.
Which is better for lattes and cappuccinos, the Breville Infuser or the Breville Barista Touch?
The Breville Infuser uses a manual steam wand you texture milk with yourself, while the Breville Barista Touch steams and textures milk automatically. An automatic system gets you a consistent milk drink with no practice; a manual wand takes a few weeks to learn but gives you proper microfoam and latte art once it clicks.
Does the Breville Infuser or the Breville Barista Touch have a built-in grinder?
Only the Breville Barista Touch grinds its own beans. The Breville Infuser needs a separate grinder, which is worth budgeting for — a dedicated burr grinder is usually the bigger upgrade to shot quality, but it also costs extra counter space and money on top of the machine.
Which heats up faster, the Breville Infuser or the Breville Barista Touch?
The Breville Barista Touch is ready sooner — 3 seconds against 30 seconds for the Breville Infuser. That gap matters most on weekday mornings; if you pull shots at a relaxed pace it makes little practical difference.